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Mississippi Development Authority

The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is the state of Mississippi's lead economic and community development agency. Nearly 300 employees are engaged in providing services to businesses, communities and workers throughout Mississippi. The agency works to recruit new business to the state and to market the state's advantages to prospective businesses.

The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is the state of Mississippi's lead economic and community development agency. Nearly 300 employees are engaged in providing services to businesses, communities and workers throughout Mississippi. The agency works to recruit new business to the state and to market the state's advantages to prospective businesses. In 2011, MDA celebrated the opening of Toyota’s newest manufacturing facility in Blue Springs, Miss., and witnessed the first Corolla model roll off the line at the north Mississippi plant. The facility will employ 2,000 Mississippians once it reaches full capacity. In addition, numerous Toyota suppliers ramped up production in 2011 to provide parts for the best-selling Corolla. Toyota suppliers have already created more than 1,000 new jobs for Mississippi workers, and together, they will employ approximately 2,000 people once production is fully underway. Also this year, the state welcomed several high-tech, renewable energy companies. In January, Stion, a venture-backed manufacturer of high-efficiency, low-cost thin film solar panels, announced it was locating 100-megawatt solar panel production operations in Hattiesburg, a $500 million investment that is creating 1,000 new jobs for the area’s workers. In June, Elevance Renewable Sciences, creator of high-performance renewable specialty chemicals for use in personal care products, detergents, plastics and lubricants, announced it was locating a bio-refinery and derivatives operation in Natchez, a multi-phase project that represents a $225 million company investment that will create 165 full-time jobs over five years. Not long after, Calisolar, which produces and refines silicon for use in solar panels and other applications in the automotive, electronics and consumer industries, announced it would be investing $600 million in a silicon production facility and refinery in Columbus, creating approximately 950 new jobs.

MDA also works to retain and expand existing businesses and industry in Mississippi and to help the state's corporate citizens identify and overcome challenges and take advantage of growth opportunities. In 2011, the agency supported Nissan, which began manufacturing commercial vehicles at its Canton plant early in the year, with its newest expansion to prepare to add the Frontier pickup and Xterra SUV models to its production lineup, a project that is creating more than 300 new jobs for the area. MDA also assisted automotive supplier BorgWarner in expanding its Water Valley operations, and the agency assisted Cooper Tire and Rubber Company with an expansion at its facility in Tupelo. MDA worked to grow the state’s aerospace industry, as well, and Mississippi saw continued growth in the sector in July 2011 with GE Aviation’s announcement that it would be expanding its presence in the state by locating a jet engine component manufacturing plant in Ellisville. The plant will be the company’s second advanced composite jet engine component production plant in the state. The project marks a $56 million investment by GE and will employ 250 workers once the facility ramps up to full production.

MDA also assists the state's entrepreneurs and small businessmen and women, working to build capacity among this key business constituency and help these small businesses grow and succeed, and the agency oversees programs that support Mississippi's minority and women-owned businesses. In addition, the agency provides the state's corporate citizens with export assistance and manages the state's energy programs, including those that help businesses, government entities and individuals improve their energy efficiency. MDA also oversees programs that help its communities identify and build on their existing assets, including their unique cultural heritage, and become more competitive. The agency works to promote tourism to the state and to develop and support Mississippi's tourism industry, as well. Additionally, MDA is responsible for managing $5.4 million in federal Hurricane Katrina disaster recovery funds, economic stimulus funds and other federal programs for the state of Mississippi.